Coconut oil Poundcake with Almonds and Lime Zest

Here's a fun fact about Belize: Lemons are a rarity. Yes, they make an occasional appearance in the markets, but they're not something you can find on a regular basis.

Limes on the other hand? These are plentiful. Matter of fact, we have four different varieties growing in our yard. So when I find a recipe that calls for limes, you bet I'm going to try it out.

This recipe (courtesy of Nutmeg Nanny) popped up in my Facebook feed and, after looking it over, I realized I wouldn't have to substitute a single ingredient! This a rarity.

The recipe makes one 9" x 5" loaf or four mini loaves. I went with the larger size.

One of the steps calls for melting the coconut oil in a small pan. I could skip this step, because I already had pourable coconut oil. However, when temps drop here, the oil will solidify and melting would come into play.

I put the oil into a large bowl, then whisked in sugar, milk, eggs, and lime zest. In a separate bowl, the dry ingredients -- flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt -- were whisked. The dry ingredients got folded into the wet and poured into the loaf pan.

To make the topping, the almonds were stirred together with some sugar and water. This mixture was sprinkled on top of the batter.

The cake was popped into a pre-heated 350-degree oven and left to back for an hour.

The final result:

This cake has a really nice balance of flavors and textures. The taste of coconut comes through, without overpowering the lime. The almonds provide a wonderful crunch. The crumb is dense, but moist. Best of all, it's not overly sweet.

If you're looking for a tasty snack, why not give this cake a go?